Curtain fixture



J.H.B0YE

CURTAIN FIXTURE July 14, 1931.

Filed May 22, 1930 Patented July 14, 1,931

* ,UNITED srargss rarest orifice VJAMES II. BOYE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES H. BOYE IVIANUFACTUB'- 1 j ING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OE ILLINOIS 'I CURTAIN Application filed May 22,

This invention relates to curtain fixtures of what are known as the hook-ontype.

One well known, simple, inexpensive and extensively used form of curtainfixture of the hook-on type consists of a pair of brackets each formed with a base plate for attachment to the window frame and an L shaped hook mounted on the base plate, and a hollow curtain rod formed with elbow ends, the top and bottom walls of the elbow ends having registering holes that aie engaged by the upright limbs of the hooks. Ordinary factory methods and machinery employed in the manufacture of such curtain fixtures do not permit accurate and exact fitting of the cooperating parts of the bracket and rod. In manufacturing practice, to facilitate easy threading of the rod ends on the hooks, it is customary to form the holes in the rod ends of somewhat larger diameter than the hooks. Again, since the hooks of different brackets vary slightly in the extent of their projection from the bracket base plates, it is practically impossible to locate the holes in the rod ends at such exact disw tances from the vertical end walls of the rod that said end walls will abut squarely against the bracket base plates when the rod ends are entered on the hooks. In other words, there is always more or less clearance between the hooks and the holes engaged thereby, and be tween the end walls of the rod and the bracket plates. `The result of this is that the rod, when mounted on the hooks, is not held in a true horizontal position, but droops or sags more or less under its weight and that of the curtain, since the rod is supported by the bearing of the rear portion of the edge of the upper hole against the upper portion of the hook and the bearing of the front portion of the edge of the lower hole against the lower portion of the hook. This gives to the curtain fixture a` sloppy and untidy appearance. The object of my present invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive construe tion of bracket for curfain fixtures of this type that will obviate this defect and will maintain the rod, when mounted on the brackets, in a true horizontal position.

Another annoyance quite frequently ex- FIXTURE 1930. serial No. 454,597.

perienced in connection with the mounting of these hook-on7 curtain rods and the mounting of the curtains on the rods is this. In applying the rod to the hooks, the rod must be held substantially horizontal, in orc er to pass the upper hole in the rod over the upper end of the hook. If the rod is allowed to sagrdownwardly, the vupper end of'the hook will strike the top wall of the rod more or less lat one side of the upper hole, and the two will fail to register. Also, in mounting and adjusting the curtain on the rod one end of the latter will frequently be lthrown upwardly suiiiciently to clear the tip of the hook, and the rod must then be tilted upwardly sutliciently to bring the upper hole again into register with the tip of the hook.

An improvement in the rod which obviates the above noted faults forms the subject matterV of a divisional application, Serial No.

503,407, iiled December 19, 1.980, allowed' January I3, 1931. v.

The invention, in one simple and improved embodiment thereof, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in' whichw Fig. 1 is a front elevation broken out, of my improved hoek-on curtain fixture. i Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. F ig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section 'on the line l 1-#LL of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, l() designates a portion of a window frame, on which. the

improved curtain fixture is mounted.

Each of the rod supporting brackets, which Y are identical, consists of a base plate 11 at tached to the frame 10 as by screws 12, Aand an L-shaped hook 13 securely mounted in the lower portion of the base plate y11. The curtain rod., herein shown as of the sectional telescoping flat hollow type is designated as an entirety lby 14. In the top and bottom walls of the elbow end portions of the rod are formed holes 15 and 16, respectively. As above stated, it is common manufacturing practice to make these holes somewhat larger than the diameter of the hook 18 in order to facilitate the easy mounting of the rod on of a wedge 17. This may be conveniently., formed by a swaging operation, as indicated in the drawings, but may be otherwise provided within the purview of the invention. This wedge 17 extends downwardly on the bracket base plate to approximately the baser or shank oi the hook 13, as clearly shown vin f Fig. 3.

vVVhenthe rod end is entered .on-.the hook,

the wedgel? acts, through relative sliding Contact with the lower portion of the rod, to. torce and lock the hook engaging portion of the bottom wall oi? the, rod against the hook, and manifestly the said wedge also cooperates with the lower portion of the rod end to block said lower portion against nievement toward the base plate which would otherwise be caused by the drooping orsagging of the rod and thev clearanceof the lower hole 16. In other words, the section of the bottom-wall of the rod lying between the member 1T and the hook 13 is wedged between said parts; and, since thev corresponding section oi the top wall'oi the rod abuts against the upper portion of the hook under'the weight of the rod, the rod is securely maintained in a true horizontal posi-l tion. Y

Describing now that feature which facilitates the threading of the rod on` the' hook, and which forms the subject matter of the divisional application above identiiied, 18 is an internal transversely extending guide rib on the vert-icalwall of the rod. This rib is simply and cheaply formed by an inward swaging ofthe vertical wall by means `of a suitable die. By reference to Figs. 3 and l it will be seen that the outer longitudinal edge ofthe guide rib 18 is substantially in line with the rear edge portions ot the holes 15 and 16. In consequence of this, as soon as the lower hole 16 has been passed downl over the tip of the hook, said tip is slidingly engaged with the outer `edge of the guide.

rib 18, and, by the latter, is guided through the upper hole 15. The presence of this rib, therefore, renders itunnecessary to hold the curtain rod in exact horizontal position when entering it on the hooks in order to make it Moreover, if the rod end be accidentally displaced upwardlyV register with the latter.

suiiiciently to disengage the upper hole 15 from the hook, the-rod will at once settle back into engagement with the hook owing to the presence of the guide rib 1S.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by means'of the above described improvements, l have obviated the faults and defects hereinabove noted in this well known type of hook-on curtain fixture, and vhave provided. a construction such that the easy mounting Aof the rod is facilitated 4and the,

rod, when mounted onits brackets, is securely supported in true horizontal position.

I claim:

1. A curtain lixture bracket adapted for cooperation with a hollow curtain rod having registering holes in its top and bottom walls,said bracketeomprising a base plate and anHL-shaped hook.I mountedv thereon f adapted to .be engagedwith the holes iii said rod, 'and means on said base plate above .the base of said hook adapted to cooperate-:with

the lower portionlof the end of vthe rod to, blocksaid lower portion against movement toward the base plate.y

2. A curtain nxt-ure bracket Vadapted fori cooperation with'a hollow curtain rod 'having registering holes in its topand bottom walls, said bracket comprising a base plate.

an`l.-shaped hook -mounted thereon adapted to be engaged with the holes iii said rod, and

a -protuberant Amember .on said ibase plate above the base of said `hook adapted to cooperatewit-h the lower Vportion of the rod to block said lower portion againstmovement toward the base plate.

3. A curtain fixture bracket adapted for cooperation with'a hollow curtain-rod havingregistering holes` in its top'and bottomvf walls', said bracket comprising a base plate, an L-shaped hook mounted thereon adapted to be engaged with the holesin said` rod,

and a downwardly-and forwardly inclined wedge on saidbaseplate, said wedge acting, through rela-tive sliding contact with the lower portion ofthe rod 'end as thel rod is entered on the hook, to force and-lock the hook-engaging portion of'thebottom wall of the rod against thel hook.

1 JAMES H. f BOYE. 

